[Dengue vector density survey in Liuchiu, Pintung, Taiwan]

The first outbreak of dengue in Taiwan in 35 years was recorded in the summer of 1981 in Liuchiu, Pintung, a small offshore island of southern Taiwan. An investigation team visited the affected area during the period of 14-17 October 1981 and collected 8,641 mosquito larvae, of which 4,432 were Aedes aegypti and 4,182 were Ae. albopictus. The house index, container index and Breteau index were 44.2, 23.9 and 73.0 for Ae. aegypti and 41.3, 17.0 and 51.9 for Ae. albopictus, respectively. Both species of mosquitoes are peridomestic breeders, with larvae found in water-holding containers in or outside houses. Ae. albopictus is indigenous, but Ae. aegypti may be of recent introduction to the island. As the two species are closely related, the larvae of both species were found co-existent in only 2.3% of positive containers. This supports the hypothesis of the "competitive exclusion principle", i.e., competition is possibly occurring on this island.